Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12, LSB
In this life, we don’t come to a moment where we are purely holy and sinless permanently. We have moments where all our sin is removed and we move on, but then that old Adam sneaks in and we sin. We are in continuous need to repent and be forgiven and this will continue until we reach the end of our lives and enter into Christ’s glory. This does not excuse us to sin. We are in a process of sanctification in which our sins are being removed. Over time the sins of the past will not be those things that will plague us, but we will fall short in different ways. In the eyes of the world, we may appear to be “good” or the “mistakes” we make are not so bad, but sin is sin. As with Paul, we strive to be better and humbly serve our Lord and bring Christ’s light out to others. In this, we may find our peace.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.